S. ARE THE DEAD CONSCIOUS?
ARE THE DEAD CONSCIOUS? Will we meet again and recognize our loved ones in the hereafter? Who has not asked this question? How many have pondered and wondered over question, the “does death end all?” If we could really know the truth about rewards for the righteous and retribution for the unrighteous in the world to come, would we not change our program of living in this present world? Must we remain in the dark as to our knowledge of the present and future state of the dead? Can we find no answer to the question, “are the dead conscious?” The atheist consigns man and beast to the same fate after death, stating that dead ends all. There are many so-called scientists all around us working over-time to prove that there are no dead. We have some people who call themselves Christian Scientists. They would persuade us to believe that sin, sickness and death are unreal only the erroneous conclusions of mortal mind. Of course, if sin is not sin, then death is not death. But the erroneous conclusions are those of a silly woman and her deluded followers.
There are other religious cults carrying on their nefarious traffic in human souls in the name of Jesus Christ, likewise teaching that sin, sickness and death are the unrealities of human conclusions.
Then we have the so-called Christian Theosophists teaching that death has to do only with the physical, and in reality is not death, but simply the shedding of the present body for a reincarnation, to be repeated in the gradual process toward perfection. The Spiritists, some times called Spiritualists, disagree with the Theosophists, teaching that they also believe that physical death is the gate to a higher life, but they are sure that the individual remains here in this world in spirit form, requiring manifestations to be seen by kindred spirits here in human bodies. They have spirit mediums to produce these manifestations and contacts.
Then we have the religion of Pastor Russell and his successor, J. F. Rutherford. They have seen fit to change the name of their religious movement several times. They were known as International Bible Students, Millennial Dawn, and one or two other names; and now they send their false prophets hither and thither as Jehovah’s witnesses. They teach the damnable heresy of soul sleeping, which they borrowed from the Seventh Day Adventists. They teach that the spirit of man at death loses its individuality, that body and soul go to sheol, or the pit, to remain together both unconscious. They deny that there is either joy for the righteous or pain for the unrighteous in sheol. They teach that Christ came back in 1874; remained in hiding until 1914, since which time His kingdom was set up on earth and with him in secret reign are those faithful ones who attained unto the true wheat or bride; that within a few years the Lord will manifest Himself, though His saints shall never see Him in His body, which was destroyed when He ascended to heaven. When the Lord manifests Himself, then the remainder of the 144,000 true Israelites, or the Church or Bride of Christ, will be given their seat of honour. Then millions will be brought back from the dead and given the opportunity to adjust their lives to the King. Those who ultimately refuse will be annihilated. Think of the nonsense of bringing back one who has ceased to exist in order to annihilate him again. Such is the folly of the servants of Satan.
We might refer to many others, including the false teaching of purgatory, which has brought to the Roman Church great riches. There is not one line in the Roman or Protestant Bibles to support their purgatory which they invented centuries after apostles of Christ gave the truth to the Christian Church. Not one apostle believed in anything like purgatory. Not one of them agreed with any of the vagaries, superstitions, delusions and lies mentioned above.
How much more satisfactory it is to turn to God’s Holy Book, and search there for the answers to the questions concerning the hereafter which we have been unable to dismiss from our minds and hearts. So often do we hear the statement, “we must wait until we die to learn whether or not there is consciousness after death, because no one has come back from death to tell us.” To believe in the Christ of the Bible is to believe in a Christ who was fully competent to tell us all about death and the hereafter, even before He by the grace of God tasted death for every man and then abolished death, and destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:9; Hebrews 2:14, 2 Timothy 1:9-10. Christ died for our sins; He was buried; and on the third day He arose from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5. After His death He showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs; for forty days. Acts 1:3; Acts 10:41. He ascended on high and led captivity captive. Ephesians 4:7-10. Some years after His death and resurrection He appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos and said, “I am He that liveth, and was dead: and behold I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death.” Revelation 1:18.
Christ foretold His death and resurrection many times while He was a man on earth. One of His statements concerning His death and resurrection is found in John 10:17-18 : “I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.” Concerning the death and resurrection of Christ, God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophet, David, about one thousand years before the Saviour was born, in this language: “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hades, neither will thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.” Acts 2:27, Psalms 16:10. In His triumph over death, Christ became the first fruits of them that slept. 1 Corinthians 15:20. While here in the flesh He truthfully said, “No man hath ascended up to heaven.” John 3:13. Nearly one thousand years after David, the man after God’s own heart, had died, the messenger of the Lord said, “David, he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.” Acts 2:29. Concerning the resurrected Christ the Word of God is, “This man after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God, waiting till His enemies be made His footstool.” Hebrews 10:12-13. There is but one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. In a resurrection, glorified body, Christ was the first man to ascend to heaven, the firstfruits of them that slept. The word, “firstfruits” suggests that there will be a harvest; that is, that many men will ascend to heaven; every man in his own order. 1 Corinthians 15:23. “At His coming”—Not before Christ comes for His own.
Now, the fact is, that Christ, because of His own personal dealings with death, the sepulchre and hades, knows all about death from experience, and He is trustworthy and competent authority. He has actually died and come back to earth after death. But He knew all about death, hades and heaven before He ever became man, and surely knew all about it while He was on earth speaking as never man spake. Now He has the keys of death and hades. He gave a picture sermon of death and hades, retribution and reward. It was concerning a rich man and a poor man. This is recorded in Luke 16:19-31. Some people seem to get satisfaction by saying that the picture is only a parable instead of a reality. But even if the truth is set forth in a parable, the truth of conscious joy and torment is taught by One who really knew what He was talking about. The Father said, “This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him.” Matthew 17:5. The man in torment said concerning those who had not died, his kinsmen on earth, “Testify unto them lest they also come into this place—But if one went from the dead, they will repent.” Luke 16:30. The answer was, and is, “Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31. The answers to your questions are in God’s Word. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. So concerning death and after death, our appeal is, “What saith the scriptures.”
What is death? Death is the last enemy. “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26. What is death? “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. “Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.” James 1:15. Death is the finished work of sin. “Death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12. Had there been no sin, certainly there would have been no death. We speak of death as the absence or cessation of life. But in the Bible, death has more than one meaning. When we define death as the absence of physical life, we are dealing with but one phase of death. Death is far more serious than the cessation of existence. Death considered in all of its aspects is the most terrible fact in the experience of man. Death extends far beyond time, into the eternal ages. Death is an enemy. Death is real. Death is more than a universal curse; death is a Divine judgment. There are millions who are living dead folks; dead here and now in sins.
Some particular cases of physical death are pronounced by physicians, mysteries; and either for the benefit of medical science or because of suspicion of foul play autopsies are held by scientific men to determine just what caused the death. Other people are said to die natural deaths. There are thousands of different diseases that produce death, and the toll is increasing each year. Death is no respecter of persons as to nationality, financial or social standing, age or any other thing. Within one hundred years from today more than one and one-half billion people who are now living will experience physical death unless that great event which is to bring destruction to this last enemy shall take place; and it may at any time. Whether your loved one’s death was pronounced natural or unnatural, death is a mystery. We feel that the person who does not want to live is unnatural or mentally unbalanced, unless physical pain is too intense for human endurance.
Death at times seems so cruel. Family circles are broken by death, a loving companion is taken out of the home leaving hearts filled with sorrow and wonder; leaving many in utter despair. In such cases who has not repeated that old question, “if a man die, shall he live again?” When one who has been near and dear to us has been taken by death, who has not imagined or hoped or believed that there would be a reunion, another meeting in a place where death could not enter to disturb the happy relationships? How many have said with David concerning some precious baby, “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me?” 2 Samuel 12:23.
What pagan religion or what modern religion, what human philosophy, what ancient or modern science can answer this heart cry: “But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?” Job 14:10. The answer to man’s speculations is found in the last verse of Job 13:1-28 : “They grope in the dark without light.”
Here is the most satisfactory answer to this universal query: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” John 11:25. And Jesus added a question: “Believest thou this?” The poor bereaved sister didn’t fully understand what her Saviour and Lord was talking about, but she believed Him, nevertheless, and said, “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” John 11:27.
“Though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Remember these words. Herein is a gracious promise, a comforting and blessed hope; the dead shall live, if—Yes, there is a condition. This Saviour is more than the way-shower; He is the Way. He is more than the giver of life; He is the Life. He is more than the teacher of resurrection; He, Himself is the Resurrection. So it behooves us to hear Him, and to believe all that God’s Divine record has to say concerning Him.
After the disciples of Christ had been under His teaching for many months, they questioned “one with another, what the rising from the dead should mean.” Mark 9:10. Peter and John, some months later, knew not the Scripture that Christ must rise again from the dead. John 20:9. This should convince us that our appeal should be to the New Testament Scriptures for the clear teaching concerning death, resurrection, rewards and retribution. To be sure it is written in the law and the prophets that there shall be a resurrection, both of the just and unjust. Acts 24:15. And certainly the Old Testament Scriptures are as much inspired as are the New, and most assuredly there is no conflict or contradiction, but as we find the incarnation and sacrifice of Christ so much more clearly set forth after He came to earth from heaven, so do we find the truth concerning the present and future state of the dead more clearly presented after the incarnation, sacrifice and resurrection of the Son of God. So that you may receive the rich blessing in your own soul and the truth from God Himself, we are going to present for your prayerful and careful study the following Scriptures:
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
1 Kings 17:21-22. “O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.” “And the soul of the child came into him again and he revived.” Genesis 37:33-35. “And Jacob said concerning his son Joseph, in Genesis 37:33, “an evil beast hath devoured him. Genesis 37:35 “I will go down into sheol, unto my son, mourning.” 1 Samuel 28:14-19. We quote part of 1 Samuel 28:19, “And tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.” Samuel had died and was now talking to Saul. Saul died and the men of Jabesh burnt the bodies of Saul and his sons. 1 Samuel 31:12. In what sense were they with Samuel? This conversation with Samuel was a miracle—a Communication with the dead is impossible and those who attempt it through a medium will be deceived by Satan and disobey the clear teaching of God’s Word. Deuteronomy 32:48-50. Concerning Moses’ death the Lord said: “And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people.” In what sense was Moses gathered unto his people? Was his body gathered with them? Read Deuteronomy 34:5-6. “No man knoweth of his sepulchre.” The devil contended for his body. Jude 1:9. See Moses transfigured on the mount. Matthew 17:3. Genesis 35:29. “Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people.” Years after Isaac had died, the Lord appeared to Moses as the God of Abraham and Isaac; and referring to this Christ said, “For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living.” Luke 20:38. 2 Samuel 12:24. Concerning his little baby that had died, David said, “Can I bring him back?” There was the lifeless body of the baby. So David was not speaking concerning the body. Here is a great truth, recorded in James 2:26 :
“THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD”
Ecclesiastes 12:7. “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” This would be a contradiction of Ecclesiastes 3:19-20, if these verses did not refer to man’s body instead of his spirit: “so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast; for all is vanity.” “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” This is the complaint of the man under the sun, as is also Ecclesiastes 9:5 “The dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward.” This is a plain contradiction of the many promises of God that the rewards of the faithful shall follow their death, unless we rightly divide the word of truth. This is true also concerning the tenth verse: “There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest.” It is the body without the spirit that is dead. At death the spirit goes to God who gave it. The dead body can neither feel, nor work, nor know. But this has no reference to the spirit in the body, that leaves the body when that body goes to dust and corruption. Ecclesiastes is not the book for the clear teaching of the present state of the dead, but even that book by no means supports the awful heresy of soul sleeping. The spirit at death goes to the God of the living.
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
Luke 23:46. “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus: He gave up the ghost.” Luke 8:49-56. This twelve year old girl was dead. Christ came into the death chamber and said, “Maid, arise.” “And her spirit came again.” Luke 8:54. Compare this with 1 Kings 17:22. Luke 23:42-43. “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 15:10. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Ephesians 3:15. “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” Acts 7:55 and Acts 7:59. “Saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God-Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 2 Corinthians 5:8. “Absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Php 1:23. “Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” I am sure that after reading these Scriptures, all who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ will be convinced that those of like precious faith who have fallen asleep have departed to be with Him, and although they are waiting to be clothed upon with their house which is from heaven they are in a state of conscious bliss. Whether or not they rejoice when sinners turn to the Lord we cannot be too dogmatic, but this seems to be the teaching of God’s Word. They have departed to be with the Lord. They are at home with the Lord. This is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 5:8. We know our blessed Lord tasted death. We know that He has abolished death and brought life and incorruptibility to light in the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:9-10. What a glorious truth this is! Life now: incorruptibility at Christ’s coming. No cessation of life after we receive life, on believing the gospel. And well may we join the Apostle John in his praise: “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him: for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:1-2. Our blessed Lord is in a glorified body in heaven. Otherwise, He could not represent us as priest. By man came death and by man came the resurrection of the dead. Some day our blessed Lord shall descend from heaven and we shall be caught up to meet Him, at which time these bodies of humiliation shall be fashioned like unto His glorious body. Php 3:20-21. And we shall see Him as He is. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18. Many Christians say that because the apostles of Christ recognized Moses and Elijah on the mount of Transfiguration, and because Paul said, “but then shall I know even as also I am known,” we have positive Scriptural proof that we shall surely recognize our loved ones in glory. Whether or not these particular Scriptures give us this assurance, we are sure that such recognition is only a reasonable expectation to make our eternal happiness in our heavenly home complete. Yes, the Scriptures declare that “when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels which are in heaven.” Mark 12:25. But this has nothing to do with the recognition of our loved ones and friends. Of course, the question always arises as to our unsaved loved ones. “Will we be conscious of their absence from heaven and their punishment and suffering?” This thought has come to all who have studied the Word of God and wondered about the hereafter. Surely God will permit no thought to disturb the blessedness of His redeemed ones. But we should be disturbed, startled and driven to anxious concern for our unsaved loved ones while we are here with them in the land of the living in this day of grace. Let us remember the solemn words of God, “It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment.” There are many false prophets today telling that the dead will have another chance at salvation; but they are the representatives of Satan and not of the Lord. They corrupt the Scriptures to give this false hope to their deluded victims. God’s Word is judgment after death. The awful sorrows of that judgment are described in the closing verses of the twentieth chapter of Revelation. Sinner, read them carefully and believe God’s truth. There are only two destinies, even as there are only two ways. There is no purgatory or third place. For every individual, it is either eternal glory with Christ and the redeemed, or eternal darkness and despair with those listed in Revelation 21:8—“the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars.” Here is God’s order—“The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. This scene may be enacted at any moment of any day right now. Then the Great Tribulation. Out of that Great Tribulation some will be saved to have part in the first resurrection “These are they which came out of Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:14—“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6. The period of Great Tribulation will close with the coming of the Lord with His saints to execute judgment, to dethrone Satan, and to establish His earthly Kingdom. Revelation 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-9, Revelation 19:12, Revelation 20:5, Matthew 24:30 and many others. Thus we have the answers to the two questions of job: “Man giveth up the ghost and where is he,” and “if a man die shall he live again.”